During a visit to the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA)’s Mangla Dam, Chairman Lieutenant General (Retd.) Muhammad Saeed received an update indicating that the Mangla Refurbishment and Upgradation Project is advancing in phases.
It was reported that the rehabilitation of four generating units has been finalized, and they are now operational with improved generation capacity.
By the end of 2026, two additional units are expected to be integrated into the system, with the overall project completion anticipated in 2030.
During the visit, the Chairman assessed the progress at the control room, turbine hall (where the units are undergoing rehabilitation), and the intake structure of the Mangla Power Station for adequate energy generation.
Member Power WAPDA Muhammad Irfan Miana, General Manager of the Mangla Dam Organization Fakhar-e-Jahan, General Manager (Hydel) Development Ahsanullah, General Manager/Project Director of the Mangla Refurbishment Project Ijlal Hussain, along with consultants and contractors, were also in attendance.
While reviewing the ongoing activities, the Chairman instructed the contractors to expedite their work to ensure the project is completed on schedule.
He stressed that this initiative will aid in decreasing Pakistan’s dependence on costly and environmentally detrimental thermal power, thus enhancing the nation’s energy security.
Mangla refurbishment to raise energy capacity
WAPDA is undertaking the Mangla Refurbishment and Upgradation Project at a total expenditure of Rs. 52.224 billion.
The project is notable for being executed without the need to shut down the entire power station. Rather, the refurbishment has been segmented into several packages, with operations conducted by closing one tunnel, which includes two generating units, at a time to reduce energy losses.
Upon its completion, the power station’s installed capacity will rise from 1,000MW to 1,310MW. The annual energy generation is anticipated to increase from 5 billion units to 6.632 billion units.
This refurbishment initiative is part of Wapda’s comprehensive two-pronged strategy aimed at optimizing hydropower resources.
Alongside the initiation of new hydropower projects, the authority is focused on rehabilitating and upgrading existing facilities to boost the contribution of clean, green, and affordable hydel electricity to the national grid.
The Mangla Hydel Power Station currently consists of 10 generating units, each with a capacity of 100MW.
